Method of manufacturing linoleum



(No Model.) D. N. MELVIN.

METHOD OF MANUFACTURING LINOLBUM. V No. 535,453. Patented Mar. 12, 1895.

H q m/lmeooea 40 DAVID N. MELVIN, OF LINOLEUMVILLE, NEW YORK.

METHOD OF MANUFACTURING LINOLEUM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 535,453,dated March 12, 1895.

Application filed January 5,1895. Serial No. 533,936. Specimens T on whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DAVID N. MELVIN, of

Linoleumville, in the county of Richmond and v will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to an improvement in the method of manufacturing linoleum, and it consists in simplifying the methods heretofore practiced. In myformer patent, No. 412,279, granted October 8, 1889, a method was described in which sheets of linoleum composition were cut into tesserae, then inserted by hand into a printing block and from the printing block transferred to the canvas. In my present invention, the printing block is dispensed with altogether and the process is simplified and made less expensive by discharging unoxidized tesserae direct upon the canvas and making them adhere thereto sufficiently at points in their surface to hold them in place until they can be given a final pressure to make them adhere permanently to the canvas or flexible foundation. In addition to my own patent there is one to Walton,No. 16,338, granted in England in 1888 in which is shown and described a cutting block having plungers therein which fit the spaces between the cutting knives and are adapted to press out the tesserm and set them upon the canvas or flexible foundation. In this English patent a composition of linoleum a little more tacky in consistency than that of which the tesserae are formed, is spread upon the canvas or flexible foundation and the tesserae are simply forced out of the cutting block and in forcing them out they are set upon this tacky substance but they are not pressed thereon so that a part of the tesserae themselves is pressed into the interstices of the canvas. Hence in the process referred to no compression of the tesserae takes place and if the tacky substance were omitted and pressure were applied from the plungers it would have to be a much greater pressure than is required in my improved process because it extends over the whole surface of each tessera thus increasing the expense in this particular. Again the plungers, on account of their being made to fit the cutting knives have to be carefully made for each set of knives and for each different shaped tessera which not only makes such a device very expensive but also impracticable for the reason that every new pattern has to have its own individual plungers. By the use of pins or fingers in the method this objection is obviated because they need not conform to the shape of the tesserte. Also in my method the use of the tacky substance is dispensed with altogether and by simply applying a slight pressure at the center of each tessera in its unoxidized condition through the instrumentality of the pins or fingers the tesserze are made to retain their positions until the final pressure can be applied to make the adhesion of the tesserae permanent. So my present invention has obvious advantages over the inventions heretofore employed and consists in cutting tesserte from sheets of unoxidized linoleum, laying the cutting block face downward with its charge of tesserze directly upon the canvas or flexible foundation, applying a pressure on a small surface of each tessera by means of blunt pins or fingers sufficient to make them adhere to the canvas, then raising the cutter with the pins or fingers still resting upon the tesserae, removing the pins or fingers, and applying a final pressure.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a view of a cutting block. Fig. 2 shows the same inverted and applied to the canvas. Fig. 3 shows the pins or fingers inserted and resting upon the tesserae and Fig. 1 shows the cutter raised and the pins or fingers still restingupon the tesserae, just before the cutting block and pins or fingers are removed from the tesserte, and Fig. 5, is a view showing means for applying the final pressure.

A, represents the cutting block having the usual knives 1, 1, on one face thereof. Holes 2, 2, are formed in the block centrally between these knives. Pins or fingers 3, 3, corresponding in number and position with the holes in the cutting block, are held in a suitable block or plate 4. These pins or fingers have blunt ends and are adapted to pass through the holes in the cutting block and engage the tesserae therein when the latter Ice are to be forced upon the canvas and from the cutting block.

In practice, the cutting block is placed, knives downward upon a sheet of linoleum. Pressure is applied to force the knives through the linoleum and cut t..e sheet into tesserm. The cutting block thus charged with tesseraa is laid face downward upon the'canvas or flexible foundation. The block or plate with the fingers or pins thereon, is then placed over the cutting block in position so that the pins or fingers enter the holes in the cutting block from the back until they rest upon the tesserie therein. Just sufficient pressure is now applied to cause the tesserze to adhere to the canvas at points immediately beneath the pins or fingers, while the cutting block is still in place with the tesserte therein. The cutting block is now raised from the tesserze while the pins or fingers still rest upon them and hold them in place. Then pressure is removed and the block with the pins or fingers and the cutting block are both removed. The canvas is now moved on and another space is covered with tessertc as before and so on and afterward a final pressure is applied, by means of a plungerB of a suitable press 0 as shown in Fig. 5 and the linoleum is finished.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. The herein described method of manufacturing linoleum, consisting in cutting tes serze from a sheet of unoxidized linoleum, applying the tesserze direct from the cutting block to the canvas or flexible foundation, causing the tesserac to adhere to the canvas removed at a small portion of its surface, and applying a final finishing pressure over the entire surface of the tesseree, substantially as set forth.

2. The herein described method of manufacturing linoleum, consisting in accumulating tesserze in a block, applying it direct from the block to a canvas or flexible foundation, applying pressure at a small point in each tesserie to cause that portion of the tesserse where pressure is applied to enter the inter stices of the canvas and adhere thereto, and applying a finishing pressure, substantially as set forth.

The herein described method of manufacturing linoleum, consisting in cutting tesserze from unoxidized linoleum by means of a cutting block, applying the tesserze direct from the cutting block to a canvas or flexible foundation, inserting pins or fingers through holes in the cutting block against the tessera: with sufficient pressure to force that portion of the tesserte immediately beneath the pins or fingers into the interstices of the canvas or flexible foundation while they are still in the cutting block so as to cause the tesserae to remain in position on the canvas, raising the cutting block on the fingers, then removing the fingers and cutting block, and finally applying a finishing pressure, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

DAVID N. MELVIN.

Witnesses:

JAMES L. ASHLEY, C. L. CARTLEDGE. 

